In his August 18 evening address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed that the military incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast, launched on 6 August, aims to create a buffer zone to prevent further attacks by Moscow across the border. This is the first time Zelenskyy clearly stated the operation’s objective.
“Today, we achieved good and much-needed results in destroying Russian equipment near Toretsk. And all this is more than just defense for Ukraine; it is now our primary task in defensive operations overall: to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible and conduct maximum counteroffensive actions. This includes creating a buffer zone on the aggressor’s territory – our operation in the Kursk region,” Zelenskyy said.
The president stressed the importance of timely military aid from Ukraine’s allies.
“There is a need for faster delivery of supplies from our partners. We strongly ask for this,” Zelenskyy stated, specifically addressing the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.
A day earlier, Zelenskyy once again urged Ukraine’s allies to lift the remaining restrictions on using Western weapons to attack targets deeper in Russia, including in Kursk. He argued that with sufficient long-range capabilities, Ukrainian troops could deprive Moscow “of any ability to advance and cause destruction.“
The Telegraph reported that Zelenskyy expressed concern that British aid to Kyiv had begun to wane, stating, “Unfortunately, the situation has slowed down recently.”
Earlier media reports suggested that the US was behind the UK’s inability to lift the ban on using its Storm Shadow cruise missiles deep inside Russia.
Related:
- The Times: UK awaits US approval for Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles in Russia
- Kursk operation shifts main battles to Russian soil, expert says
- Frontline report: Sudzha city taken, Glushkovo city next
- ISW: Ukrainian military maneuver in Kursk Oblast to compensate for Russia’s advantage
- Zelenskyy: Our partners need to remove barriers preventing us from weakening Russian positions
- Russia struggles to mount serious counter-attacks in Kursk, says Estonian defense official
- Ukrainian forces destroy one of three key bridges in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, complicate evacuation and logistics
